Yes, it has. It's been a bit mad for quite some time, now. We in the States allow millions of uneducated and unskilled from Mexico to enter with no hinderance or check whatever, yet are quite parcimonious when it comes to educated Europeans or Asians who could contribute positively to our dwindling state of mental awareness.

It makes no sense at all. I have just been listening to a couple of shearers on the radio and they confirmed that it is taking nine to ten weeks to get the clearances they need to go over and work.
These guys pay their own fares and just go over and do the job then come home for the shearing season down here. They are paid per head of sheep so they work like billyho to get the job done.
It needs someone to get onto it, and pretty quick.

I may hate myself forever here but Ashie does have a point. The currently reported waiting time on visa applications is 25 days so not much over the three weeks previously reported.

If a student from any country comes over here on a student visa he or she may get a part-time job that doesn't interfere with their studies (the Home Office do check up through employers) and provided they have a National Insurance Number. There are people who work outside of their visa but, as far as I am aware there is no disproportionate imbalance with Pakistani Nationals being guilty of this when compared to any other nationality.

Difficult to believe because it's untrue. All they have to do is apply a little bit earlier.

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Uh wrong! It is true in fact we were talking about it on Saturday in the pub, our local farmer is having massive problems arranging this years shearing, his usual antipodean worker has decided it's not worth the effort and is staying in the states this year instead working up the country. Unbelievably it is quicker and easier for him to get a US work visa than it is a UK one and he can't apply for a UK one from the US!!

You have a funny definition of racism, I assume it's the usual socialist one. Just why should everyone be treated the same? Equal opportunity is about giving everyone the same opportunities not applying inflexible rules to make management easy. Just exactly why couldn't we establish a fast track scheme for the usual annual migrant workforce who have been doing this (and similar) work for generations?

Good one Ashie, get the racist card out fast then the facts don't matter.

The reality though is that the new rules are having a real impact on temporary workes coming into the UK, Well done Jaqui another NuLabor success.

A bit like our Jaqui's claim yesterday that new rules to weed out terrorists comint to the UK from Pakistan were working (despite the recent arrests showing a different situation) because they were refusing more visas. No suggestion they were refusing the right people and perhaps from recent events indication they were not refusing the right ones after all.

The reality is immigration of all kinds into the UK has become a real mess under NuLabor, we don't know who is in where they came from if they have left whether they should be in, and even when they are found to be criminals we fail to evict them. Clearly the Home Office is still not fit for purpose and we need to be rid of our Jaqui from that important office as soon as possible.

I may hate myself forever here but Ashie does have a point. The currently reported waiting time on visa applications is 25 days so not much over the three weeks previously reported.

If a student from any country comes over here on a student visa he or she may get a part-time job that doesn't interfere with their studies (the Home Office do check up through employers) and provided they have a National Insurance Number. There are people who work outside of their visa but, as far as I am aware there is no disproportionate imbalance with Pakistani Nationals being guilty of this when compared to any other nationality.

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I'm sorry Markintime but you are wrong too, kindly go have a harsh word with yourself for agreeing with Ashie.
What Ashie refers to as racism is (as usual for him) a load of complete shite.
Visa rules should apply to all equally should they? So we shouldn't make a distinction between Australian/New Zealand sheep shearers with an established migratory pattern that contribute to our society and fake students from Pakistan?
Sheep shearers are regular visitors with a set purpose, the fake Pakistani student (or do we really not get any of them? I suppose their appearance is a lie too) are here under false pretence's and therefor likely for nefarious purposes.
So regardless of the purpose of the visit or the legitimacy of it we should treat all the same? No wonder this country is in the crap. We cannot treat all the same, we must address the risks of allowing potentially hostile migrants sneaking into the country under false pretences.

Alternatively we can call it racism and ignore the issue in a politically correct fashion.
As usual Ashie's response is to try and discredit the argument by using a prevocative statement (in this case calling the posts racist)

I may hate myself forever here but Ashie does have a point. The currently reported waiting time on visa applications is 25 days so not much over the three weeks previously reported.

If a student from any country comes over here on a student visa he or she may get a part-time job that doesn't interfere with their studies (the Home Office do check up through employers) and provided they have a National Insurance Number. There are people who work outside of their visa but, as far as I am aware there is no disproportionate imbalance with Pakistani Nationals being guilty of this when compared to any other nationality.

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I'm sorry Markintime but you are wrong too, kindly go have a harsh word with yourself for agreeing with Ashie.
What Ashie refers to as racism is (as usual for him) a load of complete shite.
Visa rules should apply to all equally should they? So we shouldn't make a distinction between Australian/New Zealand sheep shearers with an established migratory pattern that contribute to our society and fake students from Pakistan?
Sheep shearers are regular visitors with a set purpose, the fake Pakistani student (or do we really not get any of them? I suppose their appearance is a lie too) are here under false pretence's and therefor likely for nefarious purposes.
So regardless of the purpose of the visit or the legitimacy of it we should treat all the same? No wonder this country is in the crap. We cannot treat all the same, we must address the risks of allowing potentially hostile migrants sneaking into the country under false pretences.

Alternatively we can call it racism and ignore the issue in a politically correct fashion.
As usual Ashie's response is to try and discredit the argument by using a prevocative statement (in this case calling the posts racist)

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I took Ashie's remark about racism to refer to Muhandi singling out Pakistanis as flouting visa laws. I think you'll find there are many nationalities including Australians and New Zealanders who also flout tourist of student visa regulations. It should also be noted that he said 'while keeping out hard workers from our oldest colonies'. Surely Pakistan, as part of India was also part of the Empire?
The original point could have been far better made by pointing out that these are people with high skill levels and that they possess skills not readily available in this country. Because their earning are high, from a short-lived season which can be obtained consecutively around the world there is not much likelihood of their overstaying their visas.
I may have to go and live the life of a Trappist Monk now for having agreed with Ashie, haven't I suffered enough?

Edited to add: The shearers aren't being kept out of the country BTW. They are just taking a little longer (about 3 days apparently) to get those visas. There is nothing to stop them applying for their visas before they go to the States as far as I'm aware either. So the thread title is inaccurate, they aren't being kept out, they're just being slightly inconvenienced.
Damn, I really do need to wash my mouth out now!